. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/NIC/46 
21 May 2008 
 (08-2358) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  NICARAGUA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Health  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Food products 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
 Trading partners 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  RTCA 67.04.50:08: 
Alimentos. Criterios microbiológicos para la inocuidad de los alimentos  (Central American 
Technical Regulation (RTCA) No. 67.04.50:08:   Food products.  Microbiological criteria 
for food safety) (34 pages, in Spanish). 
6. Description of content:  The notified Regulation seeks to establish the microbiological 
parameters and permissible limits for the re gistration and sanitary surveillance of food 
products. 
 The provisions of this Regulation apply to  all food products marketed in Central 
American countries. 
7. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [    ] animal health,  [    ] plant protection, 
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [    ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests  
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation: 
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [   ] None If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:  
CAC/GL 21-1997:   Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological 
Criteria for Foods ; 
CAC/STAN 12-1995, Rev. 5 (2004):  
General Standard for Food Additives .  Appendix B to 
CAC/MISC 6-2001:  List of Codex Advisory Spec ifications for Food Additives ; 
International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF).  Micro-
Organisms in Foods 2:  Sampling for Microbiological Analysis:  Principles and Specific 
Applications .  Second Edition.  G/SPS/N/NIC/46 
Page 2  
 
  9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Central American 
Technical Regulation (RTCA) No. 67.04.50:08:  Food products. Microbiological criteria for food safety) (available in Spanish).  
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Upon publication in the Official Journal 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined 
12. Final date for comments:  60 days as from the date of notification 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [  X ] National notification 
authority, [    ] National enquiry point, or add ress, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  
MIFIC 
Km 6 carretera a Masaya, Managua, Nicaragua 
Tel.: +(505) 267-0161, ext. 1048 Fax: +(505) 267-0161, ext. 1137 E-mail: dtnm@mific.gob.ni  
13. Texts available from:  [  X ] National notification authority, [    ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Ministerio Agropecuario y Forestal 
Kilómetro 3½, Carretera a Masaya, Managua, Nicaragua 
Telefax: +(505) 278-5042 and 270-9972 E-mail: dgpsa@dgpsa.gob.ni  Ministerio de Salud Dirección de Regulación de Alimentos 
Tel.: +(505) 289-4700, ext. 217 
Fax: +(505) 289-4700, ext. 115 E-mail: eta@minsa.gob.ni and alimento@minsa.gob.ni